Apparatus for breaking up petroleum emulsions



April 8, 19300 J. m. BRADY 1,754,079

APPARATUS FOR BREAKING UP PETROLEUM EMULSIONS File Dec- 18, 1925 2 Shets-Sheet 1 JCEIHLL.

amen 6oz Jchn 1].. Brady April 8, 1930. l BRADY 1,754,079

APPARATUS FOR BREAKING UP PETROLEUM EMULSIONS Filed Dec. 18, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 8, .1930

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d'UEIN' B. BY, @IIT'EL DO 'IlL'Ufi Till BREE ltll l'hllUP PETROLEUM ll n nnnsne, assist-non re nnr raoenee 1;

ans, a conrorron or nnnawann application filed Hecemhei' 11.3, 19th. tlcrial lilo. raaea o This invention relates to improvements in means to break up petroleum emulsions The primary object of this invention is an improved apparatus adapted to be used to economically break up petroleum emulsions. A further object of this invention is improved provision of a novel type of heater unit for treating emulsified vpetroleum, in order to economically and efliciently break up m the emulsion for the reclamation of o1l m proper condition for acceptance by pipe l1ne companies and thelike.

Tn the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only a preferred embodiment of the heating apparatus for the heat treatment of the emulsified petroleum, to break emulsions thereof.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved heating apparatus.

Figure 2 is a front elevatlon of the improved heating apparatus.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal Sect onal view taken through the improved heatmg apparatus; as Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Flgure 3.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only a preferred embodiment of the a paratus used for the heat- 30 ing of the emulsi ed petroleum, the letter A may generally designate the improved heating apparatus, comprising a furnace B, with which the heat treatment tank arrangement- C is cooperatively constructed.

Referring to the furnace B, the same may be of any different construction than that shown, but as shown in the drawings preferably comprises a base 10, upon which s1de walls 11 and 12 are vertically positioned, with an arched top wall 13 thereover. Front and rear walls 14 and 15 are built in cooperative connection with the side and top walls 11 to 13 inclusive, and therewith provide a furnace chamber 16. Suitable drafts maybe provided for the furnace chamber 1p, mcluding a pipe or conduit 18 connected in the lower portion of the rear wall 15.

The front wall 14 of the furnace B is preferably provided with an opening 19, within 50 which a gas burner 20 of any approved type the regulator 24:, and incidentally automatiis positioned, into extending relation in the lower portion of the furnace compartment 1t. Gas is preferably used as a beating me dium, and the gas is preferably casing head gas taken from the oil well through a conduit or line 21, which has connectionwith the burner 20. An indicator 22 is preferably in the conduit 21 to designate the gas pressure, and a shut 0d valve 21- may be provided.

It is preferred that the heating of the oil be automatically accomplished, 1n order to maintain the heating temperature constant. To this end it is preferred to place a thermostatlc control valve 24 in the gas conduit 21, which has a flexible heat conducting element t: it

25 attached in suitable relation with the apparatus C, in order to receive the heat from the purified oil, for automatically controlling "ldl cally controlling the su pl of as to the burner 20. A. small bypass c nduit QG is preferably placed in the gas conduit 21, to cut out the thermostatic regulator. 24, and furnish sufficient gas to the burner 20, or for a pilot light adjacent thereto, for the purpose of permanently maintaining a flame adjacent the burner, independent of the supply of gas with respect to the burner as controlled by the thermostatic valve 24:. A valve 26 in bypass 26 may be used.

Referring to the improved tank construction C, the same preferably comprises a lower cylindrical tank 30, horizontally disposed in the furnace B, having the front and rear ends thereof resting in suitable openings provided therefor in the front and rear walls 1i and 15 of the furnace B; the lower tank 30 extending horizontally through the upper portion of the furnace compartment 16, above the burner 20, and immediately below the arched top 13 of the furnace 1B.

An upper tank 31, of similar size and construct-ion with respect to the tank 30, is located parallel with the tank 30, above the same, and connected therewith by means of vertical short conduits 33, 34 and 35, so as to communicate the compartments 37 and 38 of the tanks 30 and 31 respectively, through the passageways 39 and 40 of the end verti- 1 Ell cal conduits 33 and 34, and through the passagewa 41 of the intermediate conduit 35. It is course understood that the conduits 33, 34 and 35 extend from the top of the tank and communicate with the lower portion of the upper tank 31.

The tank 30 is stably mounted in the furnace, and the conduits 33, 34 and extend in a reinforced relation through the top wall 13 of the furnace B, and are Welded or otherwise suitably connected in a liquid sealed relation to the up er tank 31, for supporting the latter in its orizontal osition over the furnace B, and exteriorly o the burner comartment 16 thereof. As an added support or the u per tank 31, substantially U-shaped front and rear frames and 46 may be supported from the base 10 including horizontal upper bar portions 47 upon which the ends of theupper tank 31 rests, as is illustrated in all of the figures of the drawings, being clamped thereto by straps 47 The oil in partly emulsified condition is fed through a conduit 48, and this conduit 18 has a connection 49 in the end wall 50 of the upper tank 31, and' so that the emulsified petroleum inlets into the upper portion of the tank compartment 38 at said rear end of the tank 31. The coupling or connection 49 is of the clean out type, enablin ready disassemblage and cleaning out of t e same and the tank 31. At the opposite end of the tank, in the front wall 53 thereof, and in the upper portion of said wall, a coupling 54 is provided, for connecting the oil exit conduit 55 therein; said conduit 55 leading to any suitable storage tank, or other location to which the oil free of emulsion, is desired to be supplied for storage. It is in this coupling 54, that the heat conducting element 25 has a connection, so that the heat of the out flowing oil is transmitted to the automatic valve 24, for thermostatic regulation of the gas flow to the burner 20.

In the lower portion of the tank compartment 38 at the front and rear walls 50 and 53 of the tank 31, detachable clean out plugs and 61 are preferably provided, which may be of any approved type.

In the lower portion of the lower tank 30 similar clean out plugs 62 and 64 may be provided in the ends 65 and 67 of said tank 30. A water drain pipe and valve structure 66 preferably has connection to the bottom of the'tank 30, adjacent the rear clean out plug 62, and the function of the same is to enable the drain and cleaning of sediment and other foreign materials from the compartment 37 the clean out operation being effected by opening the valve of the structure 66, removing the plug 64, and blowing the tank compartment 37, in any approved manner.

Referring to the operatlon of breaking the petroleum emulsions, it is preferred to use petroleum which has been initially treated with a chemical reagent, such as a water softenin compound, or soluble soap. This chemica is fed into the oil well prior to the dischar e of the oil therefrom, and preferably prior to the inlet of the petroleum to the well. The means of feeding this chemical into the oil well is set forth in my Patent 1,531,173. The s ecific chemical desired might vary, but t e soluble soap is preferably what is known in colloid chemistry as a hydrophile colloid, and the same may be mixed with a soluble substance with which to (provide a reagent which is soluble in oil an renders the reagent colloidally dispersible. For this invention it is sufiicient to state that the chemical is one which prevents the formation of petroleum emulsions. The petroleum, incident to pumping, and where it is desired to economically use the reagent, and not feed too much of the same into the well, is slightly emulsified after the chemical treatment, and it is found that from 5 to 10 per cent of emulsion may exist in the petroleum. The emulsified oil and water in such condition is pumped or otherwise forced through the pipe line 48 into the tank 31, at the rear end thereof, as above mentioned, and within the tank 30 is subjected to heat treatment. The water of the emulsion seeks the lower level incident to gravity and heat treatment, and the oil seeks the upper level. The oil is maintained at a temperature of from 140 to 160 The heat treatment of oil in this manner in the tanks 30 and 31 breaks up the last vestige of emulsion, and the purified petroleum oil passes through the exit line 55, to any suitable location, or for storage.

By feeding the reagent into the Well, and after the oil is pumped from the well, in partly emulsified condition, treating the same to break up the emulsions enables a saving of the chemical reagent, as it is not necessary to feed so much of the same into the well to prevent the formation of emulsion, and the 5 or 10 per cent of emulsified product, which results incident to ejection of the petroleum from the Well, may readily be broken up in the improved heat treating apparatus A above described.

It is of course understood that the apparatus A may be used independent of the petroleum emulsion preventative process, if desired.

In the tank arrangement C, the lower tank 30 of course receives the principal heat from the burner in the furnace compartment 16,

and as a result the oil rises into the upper tank 31 and is not injured to any extent incident to extraordinary heat treatment. It is to be noted that the lower tank is in the furnace compartment and the upper tank outside of the furnace compartment, and this enables a very efiicientand economical heat treament of the emulsified product for the breaking up I of the emulsions.

The water level in the heater may be maintained at any desired plane, first, by partially opening the drain cock 66 to permit a certain amount of water todrain from the lower tank; second, by the use of an automatic float valve to flush the water at a predetermined plane; third, by setting the improved device at a considerably higher elevation than the gun barrel tank into which the fluid is discharged from the heater, and then installing a siphon pipe between the heater and the conventional gun barrel tank. Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts of the apparatus used for the heat treatment of the emulsified petroleum, may be made to the form of invention herein described and illustrated, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims I claim:

1. In a device for breaking up hydrocarbon emulsions the combination of upper and lower tanks, means to inter-communicate the tanks, means for heating the lower tank to a greater degree than the upper tank, means for feeding emulsified hydrocarbon into the upper tank, a single oil outlet in the upper tank for withdrawing oil in the liquid state, means for supplying fuel to the means for heating the lower tank, and means regulated by the temperature of the heated oil in the upper tank for automatically regulating the supply of fuel to said means for heating the lower tank.

2. In apparatus for breaking up hydrocarbon emulsions the combination of a furnace having a heat compartment, a horizontally disposed tank mounted in exposed relation within said heat compartment and having an unobstructed chamber therein so as to permit unimpeded passage of the hydro carbon emulsions therein, a second horizontal tank mounted exteriorly of the heating compartment and above the first mentioned tank, means communicating said tank so as to permit unobstructed flow of hydrocarbon liquid therebetween, means for feeding an emulsified hydrocarbon into said tanks, and a single oil outlet in the upper tank for withdrawing unemulsified oil in the liquid state from adjacent the top of the upper tank.

3. In a device for breaking up hydrocarbon emulsions the combination of a furnace having a heat compartment, a horizontally disposed tank mounted in exposed relation within said heat compartment and having an unobstructed chamber therein so as to permit unimpeded passage of the-hydrocarbon emulsions therein, a second horizontal tank mounted exteriorly of the heating compartment and above the first mentioned tank, means communicating said tanks so as to permit unobstructed flow of hydrocarbon liquid therebetween, means for feeding an emulsified hydrocarbon into said tanks, a single oil outlet from the upper tank for withdrawing unemulsified hydrocarbon oil in the liquid state from adjacent the top of the upper tank, means for directly heating the lower tank within the heating compartment of the furnace, means for supplying fuel to the last mentioned means, and means regulated by the temperature of the heated oil in the upper tank for automatically regulating the supply of fuel fed to the means for heating the lower tank.

4. In apparatus for the heat treatment of emulsified hydrocarbons the combination of a horizontally disposed elongated lower tank, a horizontally disposed elongated upper tank, means communicating said tanks, means for heating the lower tank throughout its length to a greater degree than the upper tank. means for feeding a liquid emulsified hydrocarbon into the upper tank at one end thereof, and a single oil outlet from the upper tank for withdrawing unemulsified oil in the liquid state from the opposite end of the up per tank near the top of the upper tank, the upper and lower tanks being of similar size and liquid receiving capacities and being internally unobstructed to thermo-siphonic flow of liquid therethrough.

JOHN D BRADY. 

